The Human Torch is a Marvel Comics-owned superhero. Created by writer-artist Carl Burgos, he first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics. Timely Comics is the 1940s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. ... Marvel Comics, sometimes called by the nickname House of Ideas, is an American comic book company. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Entertainment, Inc. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to the date or issue of a characters first appearance. ... The first cover appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner on Marvel Mystery Comics #4, February, 1940. ... Carl Burgos is an American comic book and advertising artist, born April 18, 1917, New York City; died 1984. ... The Invaders is the name of two superhero teams in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The All-Winners Squad is a fictional superhero team in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The West Coast Avengers was a spin-off superhero team of the Avengers, as well as the title of their comic book series. ... The Vision is an android superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... A Pyronano is a member of a fictional hive mind that is made up of giant buring humanoid robots. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Entertainment, Inc. ... Superman and Batman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... Carl Burgos is an American comic book and advertising artist, born April 18, 1917, New York City; died 1984. ... In comic books, the term first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... The first cover appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner on Marvel Mystery Comics #4, February, 1940. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Timely Comics is the 1940s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. ...

The "Human" Torch was actually an android created by a scientist. He possessed the ability to surround himself with fire and control flames. In his earliest appearances, he was portrayed as a science fiction monstrosity, but quickly became a hero. The android Data, portrayed by Brent Spiner, from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation An android is a robot made to resemble a human, usually both in appearance and behaviour. ... The physicist Albert Einstein is probably historys most widely recognized scientist. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...

Along with Captain America and the Sub-Mariner, the Torch’s off-and-on foe, he was one of Timely Comics' three signature characters. Like many superheroes, he fell into obscurity by the 1950s and Marvel recycled his name and powers into a new, unrelated Human Torch, a member of the Fantastic Four, in 1961. Unlike Captain America and the Sub-Mariner, the original Human Torch has had only a small presence in the post-1950s Marvel comic books and is closely associated with the Golden Age. Captain America, the alter ego of Steve Rogers (in some accounts Steven Grant Rogers), is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... Namor the Sub-Mariner is a fictional character, featured in Marvel Comics. ... The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer Johnny Storm) is a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe associated with the Fantastic Four. ... The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics flagship superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Superman, catalyst of the Golden Age: Superman #14 (Feb. ...

Character biography

Early life

Cover to Marvel Mystery Comics #9, featuring the original Human Torch battling Namor in comics' first major crossover. Art by Bill Everett.

Not to be confused with the later Human Torch (Johnny Storm, a member of the Fantastic Four), this Human Torch was an android created by Professor Phineas T. Horton for scientific purposes. At a press-conference unveiling, however, Horton's creation burst into flames when exposed to oxygen, and, with human-like sentience, personality, and awareness, rebelled against his creator. Public outcry led to the Torch's being sealed in concrete, though he escaped due to a crack that let oxygen seep in. While the Torch then inadverently caused parts of New York City to burn, he eventually learned to control his flame and vowed to help humanity. Cover to Marvel Mystery Comics #9, featuring the original Human Torch and Namor. ... Cover to Marvel Mystery Comics #9, featuring the original Human Torch and Namor. ... The first cover appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner on Marvel Mystery Comics #4, February, 1940. ... Namor the Sub-Mariner is a fictional character, featured in Marvel Comics. ... The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer Johnny Storm) is a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe associated with the Fantastic Four. ... The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics flagship superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. ... The android Data, portrayed by Brent Spiner, from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation An android is a robot made to resemble a human, usually both in appearance and behaviour. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World[1], Gotham [2], Metropolis Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,214. ...

The Human Torch was part of the first major crossover in comic book history, a two-issue battle between the Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner that appeared in Marvel Mystery Comics #8-9. A fictional crossover occurs when otherwise separated fictional characters, stories, settings, universes, or media meet and interact with each other. ... Namor the Sub-Mariner is a fictional character featured in Marvel Comics, and one of the oldest superhero characters. ... The first cover appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner on Marvel Mystery Comics #4, February, 1940. ...

He would join other heroes as war broke out in Europe, and later in the Pacific, to fight the Axis powers. Continuing to be featured in Marvel Mystery, the Torch was also quickly spun-off into his own title, Human Torch Comics (no cover date, but premiering Fall 1940 with issue #2, having taken over the numbering of the unsuccessful Red Raven #1). In his first issue, he acquired a young partner, Thomas "Toro" Raymond. Toro was the mutant son of two nuclear scientists whose exposure to radiation gave him the ability to control fire. The Human Torch also joined the police force as part of his "human cover" under the name James "Jim" Hammond. He would later drop the human name and serve the police force outright as the Human Torch, fighting villains and his off-and-on foe, the Sub-Mariner. The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Thomas Toro Raymond is a Marvel comic book superhero from the 1940s and 1950s. ... A mutant (also known to early geneticists as a monster) is an individual, organism, or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a sudden structural change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new... Radiation in physics is a process of emission of energy or particles. ...

1950s revival

After appearing in a wide variety of comics during the 1940s, the Human Torch fell victim to a general slump in the superhero market and disappeared for most of the 1950s. He was revived during a short-lived attempt by Atlas Comics, Marvel's 1950s predecessor, beginning with Young Men #24 (Dec. 1953), which also brought back Captain America and the Sub-Mariner. Atlas Comics is the 1950s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. ... Captain America, the alter ego of Steve Rogers (in some accounts Steven Grant Rogers), is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

Here, it was revealed that the Torch had been placed in deactivation sleep in the Mojave Desert; an atomic bomb test awoke him. Learning that Toro had been captured by the Soviets and brainwashed, the Torch rescued his old partner and learned that the nuclear bomb's radiation had made his powers both much stronger and more unstable. Looking across from Emigrant Pass towards the Kingston Range in the eastern Mojave. ... A nuclear test explosion is an experiment involving the detonation of a nuclear weapon. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ...

In order to keep Toro a young boy, the writers retconned (altered the history of) the character slightly, claiming the Torch met Toro after World War II rather than at the beginning. The revival lasted five issues. Later writers explained how fearing he would become a danger to those around him, the Torch flew back out into the desert and went nova, using up his energy reserve and effectively deactivating himself. Retroactive continuity – commonly contracted to the portmanteau word retcon – refers to the act of changing previously established details of a fictional setting, often without providing an explanation for the changes within the context of that setting. ...

The Torch's stories during this brief revival were mostly drawn by Dick Ayers, though initially some panels featuring the Torch were redrawn by Burgos for style consistency. Richard Dick Ayers is a comic book artist and cartoonist, born April 28th, 1924, in Ossining, New York. ...

Present-day continuity

The Torch was found by the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four Annual #4 (1966), having been reactivated by the Mad Thinker and then deactivated at his command when the Torch refused to kill the heroes. A storyline in The Avengers, dealing with the secret background of its android member the Vision, gradually revealed that the Torch's body had been found by a renegade robot named Ultron 5 and modified to become The Vision, his mind wiped of past memories and his powers altered with the coerced help of the Human Torch's original creator, Phineas Horton. The seed of this idea was planted by artist Neal Adams and worked out in detail in The Avengers #133-135 by writer Steve Englehart. The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics flagship superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. ... The Mad Thinker is a Marvel comics supervillain. ... The android Data, portrayed by Brent Spiner, from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation An android is a robot made to resemble a human, usually both in appearance and behaviour. ... The Vision is an android superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76 (April 1970), the first of a landmark run by artist Neal Adams and writer Denny ONeil. ... The Avengers are a superhero team, consisting of many of Marvel Comics most popular heroes. ... Steve Englehart (April 22, 1947 - ) is an American comic book writer, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s. ...

A later story by Roy Thomasin What If? Vol. 1, #4 (Aug. 1977), planted the suggestion that the Vision was actually made from a second android created by Horton, named Adam II. This freed up the Human Torch for a possible revival. This was followed up by John Byrne, who had the Scarlet Witch revive the Torch in Avengers West Coast, seeking answers about her husband, the Vision, and to help Ann Raymond, wife of Tom "Toro" Raymond. The Torch served the Avengers for many issues before losing his powers to save the former superheroine Spitfire in the 1990s series Namor. His powers gone, the Torch settled down with Ann Raymond. Roy Thomas (born November 22, 1940, Missouri, United States) is a comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lees first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. ... John Byrne. ... The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, a mutant who fluctuates between being a superheroine and supervillainess. ... Cover to Avengers #65. ... Thomas Toro Raymond is a Marvel comic book superhero from the 1940s and 1950s. ... Spitfire Real Name: Lady Jacqueline Falsworth-Crichton First Appearance: Invaders #7 (1976, as Jacqueline Falsworth); Invaders #12 (as Spitfire) Identity/Class: Human, mutated by combination of vampire bite and a transfusion of the Human Torchs vampire blood Occupation: Affiliations: The Invaders Enemies: Baron Blood; the Super-Axis Known Relatives... Namor the Sub-Mariner is a fictional character, featured in Marvel Comics. ...

He would appear later as CEO of Oracle, Inc., a company run by Namor. There he ran the mercenary team Heroes for Hire, and his mysterious connection to the Vision was furthered when Ant-Man (Scott Lang) discovered that his internal mechanisms were not merely similar, but identical to the Vision's. During a time-travel adventure, the Avengers subsequently discovered Immortus, the custodian of Limbo, had used a device called the Forever Crystal to diverge the Torch's personal timeline while keeping the two outcomes concurrent. Hence, the Human Torch is the Vision, but also continues to exist as himself. Power Man and Iron Fist was a Marvel comic book featuring Power Man and Iron Fist. ... The second fictional superhero Ant-Man in the Marvel Comics universe, following the 1960s original, Dr. Henry Pym, is Scott Lang, an electronics expert and reformed thief. ... Spoiler warning: Kang the Conqueror is a supervillain in Marvel Comics. ...

Cover to New Invaders #9. Art by C. P. Smith.

When Oracle Inc. was closed down and Heroes for Hire disbanded, Hammond was soon asked to head Citizen V's V-Battalion upon the retirement of Roger Aubrey, the Destroyer. While on leave from the V-Battalion as field leader of the New Invaders, he became attached to Tara, a female android based on him, whom he came to regard as a daughter of sorts. He also renewed acquaintances with Spitfire, to the dismay of her beau, Union Jack (Joey Chapman). Tara was revealed to have been created by the Red Skull; overrides on her developing personality allowed the Invaders' enemies, the Axis Mundi, to use her as a weapon against the team. As Tara heated toward to overload to kill the Invaders, the Torch channeled her heat in order to prevent her meltdown. With his own systems then overloading, he flew high into the atmosphere, away from where he could cause harm, and detonated. Download high resolution version (550x824, 157 KB)Cover to New Invaders #9, featuring the original Human Torch. ... Download high resolution version (550x824, 157 KB)Cover to New Invaders #9, featuring the original Human Torch. ... Citizen V (the V pronounced as Vee, not Five), is the codename of several fictional characters in the Marvel Universe. ... The Destroyer on the cover of Mystic Comics #8 (March, 1942) The Destroyer is a Golden Age of Comics superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Invaders is the name of two superhero teams in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The gynoid known as Tara was a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... The modern Union Jack. ... Red Skull is a Marvel Comics supervillain who is the principal enemy of Captain America. ...

Physiology

The android Human Torch's anatomy has been used in these and other ways:

• A "blood" transfusion gave Spitfire her powers, and a second transfusion decades later saved her life and restored her youth.
• While travelling inside The Human Torch in miniturized form, Scott Lang temporarily gained a version of the Torch's powers after coming in contact with one of the cells that powers the Torch (an homage to a similar incident in which Henry Pym entered the Vision's body and was temporarily rendered intangible).
• The Pyronanos, a type of nanomachine-based robots, were created using cells secretly extracted from Jim Hammond.

Blood transfusion is the taking of blood or blood-based products from one individual and inserting them into the circulatory system of another. ... The second fictional superhero Ant-Man in the Marvel Comics universe, following the 1960s original, Dr. Henry Pym, is Scott Lang, an electronics expert and reformed thief. ... Dr. Henry Hank Pym is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, a founding member of the superhero group The Avengers and a brilliant scientist who spends much of his time in his lab. ... A Pyronano is a member of a fictional hive mind that is made up of giant buring humanoid robots. ... A mite next to a gear chain produced using nanotechnology Nanotechnology as a collective term refers to technological developments on the nanometer scale, usually 0. ... ASIMO, a humanoid robot manufactured by Honda. ...

External links

• The Golden Age Human Torch